Nice to meet you

Nice to
meet you

Jessica Rappé

Hello, I’m Jess, principal of Synergy Creative, Inc.

My focus is helping people feel heard. I mean really, heard and understood.

Not in a sterile marketing brief kind of way. I prefer the uh-oh-I’m-not-totally-sure-we’re-ready-to-go-there approach that leads us to the most delightful and results-generating discoveries. That’s where the good stuff lives. And that’s what drives our work.

I’m a problem solver. Alchemist. Consensus builder. Animal lover.

Above all else, I value curiosity, compassion and intuition.

Kari Dillon

Project Manager

What’s the one at-work lesson you had to learn the hard way?

Proof your work. Proof it over and over and over again. And then again one more time.

What’s the one creative project you’re most proud of?

Proud of what I’ve done on radio and TV, but also of working with tight budgets to maximize efficiencies and ROI for clients. Cuz that’s how I roll…

What’s the first thing you think to do when you have free time?

Fill it with busy time. I’m Type A. Can’t help it. I try to make sure that time involves family or friends.

Jackie Tokarz

Creative Director

What’s the one at-work lesson you had to learn the hard way?

Don’t fire your IT guy until you have a replacement IT ready to go.

What’s the one creative project you’re most proud of?

My garden. I don’t look at it as simply growing flowers and vegetables, but as living breathing artwork.

What’s the single most valuable skill you bring to each project?

Attention to details.

What’s the first thing you think to do when you have free time?

Think of ways to have more free time.

Carol Ann Courtney

Accounting and Finance

What’s the one at-work lesson you had to learn the hard way?

Don’t suggest your boss hire his wife. I can’t imagine this is ever a good idea.

What’s the one creative project you’re most proud of?

I have done a lot of property rehab and new construction projects with my dad, but we did a gut rehab together a couple of years ago and it turned out so nice. It was functional… beautiful… and homey. Everything you could want in a house.

What’s the single most valuable skill you bring to each project?

Determination. I certainly don’t have all the answers, but I will do my best to find something that will work.

What’s the first thing you think to do when you have free time?

Right now, it is either sleep or read. Ask me another time and it might be about my latest binge watch!

Claude

The Intern

What’s the one at-work lesson you had to learn the hard way?

Not everything in the office is okay to chew…who knew?

What’s the one creative project you’re most proud of?

Convincing coworkers I should get a treat for going to the bathroom in the right spot. It’s almost too easy.

What’s the single most valuable skill you bring to each project?

Well, I’m only 12-weeks old and I’m kind of adorable so I think I bring a really fresh attitude, sense of play and cuteness to pretty much everything I do. I call it pugability™.

What’s the first thing you think to do when you have free time?

I like to do what I can to help out MOPS Adoption + Rescue since they pretty much got me where I am today.

Jay Austin

Creative Director

What’s the one at-work lesson you had to learn the hard way?

Don’t bring challenges or frustrations you have in your personal life to work with you. Co-workers are like family and they deserve your full attention, focus and sincerity.

What’s the one creative project you’re most proud of?

The projects that have a variety of mediums as part of the scope. It’s most satisfying to do multiple components of a campaign vs. just a one-off brochure or website. It’s where we do our best work. It also aligns perfectly with my self-diagnosed ADD.

What’s the single most valuable skill you bring to each project?

Never stop improving (Feels like the North Face tagline, doesn’t it?). I always think everything can be better. I’m always offering up new options and ideas right up to the last minute, much to the chagrin of my co-workers…

What’s the first thing you think to do when you have free time?

Make sawdust.

Julie Chen

Creative Director

What’s the one at-work lesson you had to learn the hard way?

Love what you do — and the people you do it with. Nothing worse than a job feeling like just a job. You spend a huge chunk of your time at work so it should be with people you enjoy (and make you laugh).

What’s the one creative project you’re most proud of?

I love projects that can be personally rewarding. Working on stuff for COSI was fun. They provide camps and programs to kids with cancer. Visiting the camp and the kids was an unforgettable experience.

What’s the single most valuable skill you bring to each project?

I am all about the details.

What’s the first thing you think to do when you have free time?

Make a list of all the other things I still need to do.

Sarah Ghesquiére

Creative Director

What’s the one at-work lesson you had to learn the hard way?

Not all my ideas are winners. A realization that came to me slowly over time as I learned to self-edit, work collaboratively and think strategically.

What’s the one creative project you’re most proud of?

Interviewing breast cancer survivors to bring their stories of strength and determination to life on the back of a cereal box. The lessons they learned and shared have stayed with me ever since. As one survivor said, who strongly believed she had cancer despite early tests saying otherwise, “you have to be an advocate for your own health.”

What’s the single most valuable skill you bring to each project?

I like to think I bring a sense of perspective gained from many years of writing for all types of clients. My approach has always been to maintain a sense of humor, stay curious and fight for ideas I believe in.

What’s the first thing you think to do when you have free time (pre nap)?